Child of Courage - Bradley Addison

Powerchair football hero Bradley Addison has won a Child of Courage Award at Pride of Birmingham.

The Solihull youngster refused to let serious illness stop him playing the sport he loves, and campaigning to help others.

Bradley, 13, dreamed of playing for Aston Villa, but was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was just five.

When the condition left him unable to walk and needing to use an electric wheelchair, he refused to accept his playing days had come to an end, and took up powerchair football.

“It’s made me feel like there is a way of doing it and I can just enjoy it,” he said. “When I’m playing football it clears my mind of everything. It’s really made me happy that I know I can do stuff.”

Bradley received his Award at a star-studded dinner hosted by TV presenter and campaigner Katie Piper, and attended by some of the region’s biggest stars.

Pride of Birmingham, in partnership with TSB, honours unsung heroes of all ages who do extraordinary things to help others.

As well as banging in the goals for the Villa Rockets powerchair team, Bradley has fronted fundraising and awareness campaigns for Muscular Dystrophy UK, as well as raising money with his own sponsored challenges.

The judges said: “Bradley is a fantastic example to all of us about refusing to give up, and always following your dream.

“His determination to carry on scoring for the Villa even after his illness stopped him playing football is truly inspirational.”